Simplyfruit Senior Football League and Championship

August 18, 2014

• SENIORS

Annaghmore Pearses 3-12 Shane O’Neill’s 1-08

Shane O’Neill’s hit Senior championship debutants Annaghmore with 1-2 inside the opening 5 minutes with 2 Paul O’Rourke points and a goal from corner forward Mark McCabe. Last year’s Junior Champions opened their account with a fisted goal from county minor Conor Cullen, who repeated that feat 26 minutes into the half to give Annaghmore a lead they would never relinquish. With Oisin Mac Iomhair pulling the strings in a full-forward line that finished with 2-11 his team held a goal lead at the short whistle following a late flurry of 1-2. In the second half, the Camlough side was restricted to a single point from top scorer O’Rourke deep in added on time as Annaghmore had built up a seven point advantage, with ten minutes to go, before substitute Michael McNeice put the icing on a winning performance with his team’s third goal

Second half substitute Barry Toner was the Granemore hero as his second point in the second minute of injury time was the winner in this parish derby with Ballymacnab. In a game that ebbed and flowed, a draw had looked on the cards on numerous occasions as the teams were level on 5 occasions in the second half. The game’s only goal, a second half effort from Jason O’Neill proved to be the pivotal score as it gave Granemore a 3 point cushion that was quickly erased by the boot of Rory Grugan who kicked three great scores consecutively to tie the game with five minutes to go. Brian McCone fisted the ball over the bar to give Ballymacnab what looked like a match winning lead, especially when Jason O’Neill was sent off on the 58th minute. But Granemore dug deep and Christopher O’Connor levelled things up with his third point of the night before Toner landed the late winner followed by a straight red card for Jack Grugan which restored numerical parity. Granemore raced into a 4 point lead but by the short whistle the ’Nab had halved the deficit 0-6 to 0-4

Goals win games and in this respect green flags in either half for Maghery was the difference between the teams in the end. Killeavy will point to the very harsh early loss of their centre-back to a questionable black, as a major disruption to their plans. A Jack Lavery goal 1-5 to 0-5 separated the sides at the short whistle with top scorer Shay Tennyson (1-3) getting the second half goal.

Second half from top scorer Ultan Lennon put daylight between the Armagh city sides as Harps recorded a 1-10 to 0-10 victory. The late introduction of former county player Ronan Clarke brought Ogs back into contention as he scored 3 points but Harps were deserving winners after leading 6-5 at half time.

The opening two scores, 2 goals from Cathal O’Grady, where the main difference between the teams as ‘Cruppen booked their place with a 2-6 to 0-8 win over Madden in a disappointing encounter.

Tir na nÓg 2-07 Whitecross St Killian’s 1-22

• Intermediate

Middletown Owen Roes 2-14 Mullaghbawn Cúchulainns 2-10

Leading by 5 points and 4 points at the start of each half Mullaghbawn suffered 15 and 20 minutes scoring droughts which was capitalised on by opponents Middletown who hit 1-4 and 1-6 during those barren spells for the losers. A hotly contested converted Ryan Gaffney penalty 20 minutes into the second half gave Middletown a goal lead which was immediately followed by points from first half goalscorer Martin Maguire and Patrick McBride to put them on the road to victory. Despite the 2 goal heroics either side of half-time from Kieran Grant, Mullaghbawn failed to build on their promising starts to either half with the more physical winner adapting better to the wet conditions.

Clan Na Gael 1-16 St Paul’s Lurgan 3-12

A cracking Lurgan derby lit up by the display of Stefan Campbell who score 1-12 yet ended up on the losing side Clan na Gael. The main reason for this was a brace of goals from Ryan Gilmore and a third one from Niall McParland for St Paul’s who trailed at the interval by the minimum a point.

Clann Eireann 3-15 Wolfe Tones Derrymacash 2-04

Clann Eireann followed up their League win over the divisions table toppers Wolfe Tones with a whopping 14 point Championship victory. Goals from John McLoughlin, James McDaid and Jack Wilson put the winners on the road to an unexpected easy win as they led 1-8 to 1-2 at the short whistle.

Derrynoose St Mochua’s V St Peter’s

Culloville Blues 0-12 V Grange St Colmcille’s 1-10

Clonmore Robert Emmet’s 0-08 Silverbridge 0-10

• Junior

Dromintee St Patrick’s 0-00 Keady Michael Dwyers 2-08

Failing to raise a flag will create its own bit of history for Dromintee Seconds as they lost out to one of the competition favourites, Keady. The winners were far from impressive.

Killeavy St Moninna’s w/o St Michael’s Killean DNF

Dorsey Emmet’s 1-12 Clann Eireann 0-07

St Patrick’s, Cullyhanna 0-03

Tullysaran O’Connell’s 4-12

Collegeland O’Rahilly’s 1-15 Crossmaglen Rangers 0-12

Crossmaglen slipped into the back door system after letting slip a wind assisted 0-9 to 0-7 lead over Collegeland. The winners kept in touch in that first half courtesy of free taker Tom Murphy who punished every indiscretion inside 25 yards. Top scorer Murphy then supplied the killer score, a second half goal, as Cross could only muster 3 second half points.